When my daughter and I needed a holiday at short notice, we booked the Thompson Sensatori at the Gran Melia Palacio de Isora, Tenerife. We relied on the recommendation of our travel agent and then I read the most recent reviews on Tripadvisor. I was not impressed and dashed into the agent and told her that I was thinking of cancelling based on what I'd read.

I'm glad I didn't.

We flew from Gatwick with Thompsons and the noises coming from the plane before take-off were enough to unnerve me; especially when a passenger who appeared to know about planes queried the cause the racket which continued into flight. The plane had seen better days and today, I saw on AOL that one of Thompsons' planes encountered mid-air problems on its flight to Belfast. I understand that a new plane is coming into service and I think, not a moment too soon.

I'd never been to Tenerife before but had seen Teide from Gran Canaria and it was on my tick-list of places to visit. We arrived at Reina airport which has a down-trodden feel to it and this first impression continued along the transfer to Gran Melia. We passed hideous haphazard overdevelopment along the route and my heart sank as I saw Hotels which looked great in the brochures but not in reality. There were no other drop-offs enroute and approximately 50 minutes after leaving the airport, we drove through the small town of Alcala and my spirits were still pretty low. That is, until we rounded a bend and saw a vast development on the ocean front. It was the Gran Melia and as the tour bus turned into the entrance, I heaved a sight of relief. We'd arrived at our destination and were blown away by what we saw.

The chrome and marble reception area is lit by crystal chandeliers and looks down over the piazza where at night, fountains rise and fall in changing lights. It reminded me of some Floridian Hotels with their glitz and glamour. It felt very special.

On arrival, uniformed waiters greeted us with glasses of fresh orange and peach juice and our bags were efficiently whisked away to our room. The Hospitality industry in the UK could learn from the service we received during our stay. This is a huge Hotel; it has 600 rooms and Thompson have one wing which is their Sensatori brand.

We were on an inclusive plus package which included local wine, beer, carbonated drinks and bottled water at meal times but be careful, even a cup of coffee will cost you extra and at 9 euros for a glass of cava which is free at breakfast, it's not difficult to rack up an eye-watering bill at the end of your stay.

I believe this is historically a relatively quiet time of the year at the Hotel but the buffet breakfast was pretty noisy with lots of activity. It's popular with families who have very young children but there are quiet areas for adults only if you want some peace. I would not want to stay there in high season.

Activities are offered which included yoga, pilates, meditation and sunset strolls and some of the rooms have spas and bali beds - ideal for young (or old) romantics but you do as much or as little as you want. The weather was very kind to us on most days so we were able to swim daily in the unheated pools which were a bit bracing and we weren't brave enough to swim in the fantastic Infinity Pool which was a pity. It's gorgeous and looks out over the sea towards the neighbouring island of La Gomera. On a stroll out of the Hotel into Alcala, we watched turtles being fed from the harbour wall and small black crabs scurried over the volcanic rocks.

I like the fact that the Hotel has been very well planned both in its logical layout - be prepared to walk - the fact that it has two floors underground where the business of running an Hotel of that size discreetly goes on. They have a green policy which means they recycle water used in the Hotel to keep their manicured gardens verdant in an arid climate and I particularly enjoyed walking in the ground which is dotted with curvy sculptures and beautiful flowers and trees. There is a red line service at the Hotel for people who want more privacy and luxurious treatment but of course that comes at a price.

After about three days, I felt I wanted to explore the island and booked a tour which included Mt. Teide. I studied geology for a year and was fascinated by the rock formations. Clash of the Titans was filmed there and American and Russian space craft have been tested on its rocky terrain.

The tour felt rushed, and I would have liked to spend more time on the sleeping Volcano but Ignacious, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable, communicated well and clearly loved the island which is his home, so he made the trip very worthwhile. On his advice, the journey was made in reverse, starting with Teide and I'm glad it was because the other tour buses went the other way and we didn't feel pressured by their presence. One of the stops we made was at Puerto de la Cruz; my idea of hell and I definitely would not want to go back there but it was a good excursion and I would like to revisit Teide and some of the small villages on the whistle-stop tour.

All in all, this was a great holiday away from the grey days of winter in England. The Hotel staff were welcoming, the food, pretty good with so much choice on offer you could eat as much, or as little as your waistline dictated! Our room was 5044. It was on the 5th floor by request and had a view of the sea from the balcony. There is a lift but we took the stairs most of the time to burn off a few calories. The Gran Melia is worthy of its five stars and I will definitely be checking out other Hotels within the group and would consider staying there again. We felt it was great value for money.